Ex-MP denies voting 'several times' on loan bill

A former Pheu Thai MP accused of illegally voting to pass the Bt2trillion loan bill insisted the MP identification cards he used for the vote were all his, not those of his colleagues.

Former Democrat MP Rangsima Rodrasamee submitted a video clip of Narisorn Thongtirach who she alleged of voting several times by using a number of MPs’ identification cards.

Rangsima said the clip was recorded during voting on the second reading of the law.

Narisorn told the Constitutional Court in a hearing that he was in the video but said he carried his MP identification card and spare (backup) cards as he often forgot his cards. He inserted the cards and changed them after his card failed to function.

The opposition told the Court that was not possible.

Democrat Party leader and former opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said what Narisorn had told the court was untrue. Each MP could have only one identification card and a spare card in case they forgot to bring or lost a card.

The spare cards also looked different from the main card and a new card issued would have a different serial number. Moreover, the machine would count only one vote for each MP using the card, Abhisit said.

The court on Tuesday began hearing legal arguments on whether the passage of the Bt2trillion loan bill was constitutional.

It started looking first into the passage of the bill process before examining the bill’s content.